


He Who Was Night

by Muffinpughugs



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brony - Freeform, Crying, Drawing, Fishing, Fluff, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hallucinating, Hallucinations, Help, I wrote this in minecraft, Insanity, Love, Love Confessions, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Other, Philosophical Discussions, Poetry, Rambling, Sketching, Stargazing, nerds, prose, rainbow dash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muffinpughugs/pseuds/Muffinpughugs
Summary: You would love to fall for him over and over again. Love was truth. You were his sun and he was your night.
Relationships: Dirk Strider/Reader
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys i wrote this in minecraft, in like one of those journals you can make in minecraft bc we were writing fanfiction and i really liked how it turned out so i copy pasted it here lol hope you like my semi-meaningless prose
> 
> (CW// MLP, PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS (RELATING TO DEATH BUT ONLY KIND OF), GREEK MYTHOS)

You awoke to the sound of seagulls and waves crashing. The noise carried through the wind, softly landing in your bedroom. You checked your calendar, and you looked about, and you were alone. You pulled off the covers silently, looking to the window and then to the door. The window was cracked open. The door was closed. You could smell the sea breeze waft into the room, causing you to take a deep breath in and then out. Soothing. You rose from your bed and felt your feet hit the cold hardwood floor, planks creaking slightly You stretched, yawning, and made your way to the door and proceeded to the stairwell.

It was dead quiet, and you wondered for a moment if he was gone

He wouldn’t leave without you, right? The ocean surrounded you for miles and miles. All would be lost without him and yet he seemed to disappear every few moments, every spare second he tore himself from your view and surrounded himself in night.

You proceeded to the stairwell, pushing the bad and the worse thoughts aside. He would not leave without you, though little morals the two of you carried through the years of turmoil you’d seen, you had both agreed on this fact as if it were written in stone, a blood pact.

The stairwell led upwards to where he likely resided. The sun was rising soon. He enjoyed watching the stars fade into blue, as if he were meditating and as if he were the night. And as you pushed the door to the roof open, you realized you were his day. 

Soundlessly, you crept onto the roof. He looked upon you as if you were bright or the sun or another star in the sky. You smiled and he turned away as he did.

You shuffled closer to him, sitting beside him on the railless roof, upon cold concrete.

Wordlessly, he turned to you and back to the sky. He pointed eastward.

“Perseus,” he spoke. You nodded.

“Didn’t he slay medusa?” You asked him. He smiled at you. Rare, a diamond smile.

“Yes,” he nodded.

“I think that Medusa was misunderstood,” you spoke. He leaned into you, resting his head upon your shoulder.

“She was. It wasn’t her fault for anything.” You leaned back into him as he spoke of mythos and as you smiled back. “Medusa may have been a temptress, however she alone should not have been punished for the seduction of Poseidon. He himself should have taken at least some of the blame, but alas, the past was a patriarchal time,” He continued. You agreed, snaking your hand over towards his.

“Are you a patriarch?” You joked. He shook his head.

“No, I’m a feminist. We are the future, we must be,” he explained. “It’s our duty.”

“So who’s the woman of the house?” You asked.

“Hal 9000.” You laughed at his remark.

“Is it not Lil Hal or Halogen?” You questioned.

“Ask the AI, not the maker. He changes it daily.” You nodded.

“When’s the wedding between you two?” He snorted in regards to your comment.

“Never, hopefully.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “I hate him as much as I hate myself.”

You frowned, glancing up at him. His shades reflected the soon to be illuminated sky.

“You shouldn’t. You’re wonderful.” You spoke with honey on your lips. Dirk ignored you.

“Why do you lie to me?” He asked. You shook your head. He would be the death of you one day, you swore on it. You crossed your heart on it and crossed your heart as to how you would never lie to him.

“I don't lie to you. What would be the purpose in that?” You retorted. Dirk looked to the sky. He pointed towards the center.

“Pegasus,” he spoke.

“Rainbow Dash constellation?” He smirked.

“Maybe Princess Luna put her there.”

You both sat still for a while, watching as the sky turned lighter, slowly a gradient creeping up the horizon. Lighter and lighter and you saw his eyes glow in wonder. You at least felt them, though concealed behind his shades. You turned to him once more.

“Why do you wear those?” You pressed. He shrugged.

“I don’t like myself.” You didn’t like yourself either and you didn’t wear stupid sunglasses.

“Take them off,” you commanded. He cocked his head to the side.

“Why would I do that?” He questioned.

“The sky is beautiful, you should see it.” He reached up and took his glasses off, looking up at the dusken night.

You could see his orchard orange eyes shine full of stars and amazement. He turned to you and he smiled.

“Never have I once seen something more beautiful,” he whispered.

“You come to the roof every night to see the stars,” you said. Dirk shook his head.

“No, no,” he began. “Never have I once seen you without my shades.” He grinned. “Never have I once seen someone so beautiful.” You shook your head.

“You must have lost your mind, friend.” You grabbed his hand, holding it in yours.

“I did long ago, but so have you, remember?” You don’t remember. The sky churned in navy, the gulls spoke louder. 

“So maybe we are both mad,” you explained. He nodded.

“It’s a certainty.”

You leaned into him. He kissed you. You smiled into the kiss. You loved him and he loved you and neither of you had to voice that to understand that it was there.

You could simply feel it. You could see it in his eyes once concealed.

You could nearly imagine a life without him, but you couldn’t quite as he pulled you closer into his lap. You broke away, leaning into his chest and hugging him close to you.

“I never want to let you go,” you grumbled into his chest.

“Then never let me go and we may both die here.”

“But we promised never to leave each other, never to die without one another and to stay in your arms is to be a sin among ourselves.” You pulled away slightly, still holding him.

“Exactly.” The night spoke with he who was caught within it. You would pull him out one day, but he loved you enough that he would do it on his own. He would be too stubborn otherwise, dear nightman.

And so you sighed and leaned back upon the roof, watching the stars fade and the clouds turn. And he watched you lean back and he watched you as you leaned in closer to him once again, planting a kiss on his cheek. Rose dusted your faces. You were not alone here

“We don’t need to say I love you,” you said. He shook his head.

“You know that I do.” He squeezed your hand. “I’m too embarrassed to say it aloud either way.”

“But why are you embarrassed to love me? Is it not true?” You asked.

“No, I’m embarrassed because I love you more than myself.” You shook your head

“Is that not what true love is?” You questioned once more. You did not know. He did not know either. So you philosophised as to what human nature would be.

“It might be,” he spoke after a long pause. You nodded.

Maybe one day you would come across a philosopher as great as the two of you. Maybe one day you wouldn’t. That was another mystery for you to philosophise.

Dirk sighed. You sighed in return. The two of you giggled and held each other upon the cold roof with your warm embraces.

“When will the sun rise?” He shrugged.

“Someday. Once the world burns to the ground, then we will become the sun,” he spoke.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

You sat there, silent, a mutual understanding of love. Maybe it was not love. Neither of you knew, so you guessed. You hope you are a good guesser. You hope he is as well, out of sheer narcissism. You hope you both know love.

But you think you felt it on that roof as the sky churned like the sea below and surrounding until blue encompassed the two of you. The sun rose above the salty horizon and you turned to him, desperate.

He glanced back upon you.

You were the sun and he was the night

You were his sun and he was your night.  
And so you kissed him and embraced him. Then you rose and returned to the stairwell, your night following suit.

“Sleep?” You asked.

“As always.” You giggled. You opened the door to the room, returning to the bed. He climbed in with you, falling under the covers. He was closer to you than he had ever been, and you placed his glasses on the desk besides you.

You turned back to him, lovingly. He reached out to you and you fell into his arms, falling swiftly back into your slumber

You dreamt of love, though you didn’t really need to anymore.

So one day, when you awoke, you saw him not next to you. So you stood once more and returned to the stairwell, climbing and seeing him. He held out his hand, and you took it.

And some day, you woke up, and he was still next to you, resonating love as an aura, your beacon and your night.

You could feel his dreams. You could understand his inner empath as he slept and as he slept next to you today and tomorrow and the days that might follow suit.

Time was an illusion, as he always said. You agreed.

And so you slept.

Perhaps for too long, for when you awoke, he left once more.

But he always returned in the end.

You had promised him that.

And he had promised you the same.

You awoke for truth this time. He was not there as you always expected.

You turned to the other direction to see him typing at his keyboard.

“Good morning,” you spoke, stretching and yawning.

“Good morning,” he resonated. You smiled and rose from your bed. He turned his chair to face you, smiling. He donned his shades once more. You understood, they blocked out the blue light from his computer. You wished he didn’t wear them as often, though.

“What are you doing?” You asked him.

“I’m writing.”

“What are you writing?”

“You ask a lot of questions, love.” You giggled. You couldn’t help but have a curiosity towards the only other real person in your life.

“Yes, I am,” you retorted. “What of it?”

“I find it amusing. You like to question and I like to answer.” He turned back to his work. “We are the greatest of our time.”

“We are the only of our time.”

“That as well.”

You stood and walked towards his chair, looking upon his work. He was writing, just like he told you.

“You’re writing something.” You leaned your head on top of his.

“I am, don’t read it.”

“Why not?”

“I’ll let you read it once it’s finished, love.” He exited the tab as if to spite you. You scoffed.

“Ok, tell me when.” You walked back over to the bed, sitting down. 

“I assure you I will.”

You grabbed your phone, laying down. You went around, playing useless games as a mindless boredom reducer until Dirk called out to you.

“I finished the writing,” he spoke. “I wrote it for you.”

You stood quickly, nearly flashstepping over to his computer. You read.

_‘So be it I’m told, though love is not gold, that what I know answers my pain._

_From dusk now to dawn, and through what's going on is a message from heart and not brain._

_A solemn sung tale from the lovers who sailed from nowhere to nowhere again.’_

_Though nothing is new, but what I’ve been through seems to be the first time in a while._

_That feeling is old and is rusted yet gold and I know that my heart will prevail._

_I’ve fallen in love, thank the stars once above and thank nobody plays in the rain._

_Thank gods in the sky who need not to ask why we have fallen in love once again.’_

You smiled at him. He looked to the side, embarrassed. You kissed his cheek, making him blush.

“You’re a dweeb.”

“I’m your dweeb.”

“And I love you,” you told him. He nodded, he knew.

“I love you so much more than I can write in words, so I didn’t finish the poem.” You hugged him.

“You’re right, but it feels lacking without a proper end, don’t you think?” You explained.

“I think it's symbolic,” he said. You loved him so much deeper than his word.

“I love you. I can’t explain how much but you need to know that it is so much.” You planted a kiss upon his lips. He reached his hand up, stroking your face. He tasted like artificial sugar. You could spend days upon his lips.

“It was only a matter of time until we fell in love, don’t you think?” You asked him.

“You mean to say we weren’t in love from our first breath?” He returned. You thought for a moment, turning to his writing then back to him.

“I don’t remember when we fell in love.” He grabbed the hem of your shirt, pulling you onto his lap and hugging you.

“Let’s say it was now.” You laughed, reverberating his love throughout the room.

“I know at least that it’s been more time than that.”

“Well, when do you think you fell for me?”

“Forever ago.” You kissed his cheek. He kissed your cheek. He felt cold.

“You’re cold,” you told him. He sighed.

“I know,” he shuffled in his seat slightly. “Warm me up.” You smiled and shook your head.

“Come cuddle, stupid.”

“That works for me.” The two of you stood up and returned to the bed, holding each other close as you warmed up in your embraces.

“I don’t want to fall asleep,” he spoke.

“I’ve slept too much today, I don’t want to either,” you explained.

“Just cuddles then.”

“Just cuddles then,” you agreed. He smiled and you moved closer to him, wrapping him in your arms. He was still cold. The blankets were warm. You loved him.

He leaned in to you and kissed you sweetly, pulling you into him as closely as he possibly could.

“I wish we could be here forever.” You nodded in agreement.

“We should, just for fun.”

In some world in some way, you did. You loved him enough to do so. Right here, you stayed put in his arms, warming him up.

He smiled.

“What is life?” You asked him. He snorted.

“Getting real metaphysical here today.” He laughed. You fell deeper in love with him.

“So? I can have questions,” you complained mockingly.

“You can, I know.”

The two of you sat in silence for decades, you grew old together in a matter of minutes. You looked up at him and he looked up at you.

“I love you,” you spoke.

“I know.”

“Don’t you love me too?” You asked him.

“Of course I do,” Dirk responded.

“Then say it.”

“I love you.” You felt yourself melt deeper into his arms. “You’re blushing.”

“I know,” you mocked.

He loved you, it echoed in your head. Of course he did, why wouldn’t he? But still, he loved you. Love, love. A silly word, an unfamiliar feeling.

Not that it didn’t feel good, of course.

He loved you. Of course he did. You loved him back.

Without thinking, the two of you drifted to sleep once more. You should fix your sleep schedule, but you don’t want to. If you get cuddles, why would you change that?

You woke up one day, and you kissed him and loved him more through every day and night and time.

Some days, you wondered. Was your love a constant? Was it universal? Could you ever even know the answer to that anyways?

You asked Dirk one day. He shook his head. He said there were too many dimensions. You said that you loved him anyways. He knew.

Another day, you loved him still and asked him for his hand in marriage. He said you and him were already married, technically. You stuck your tongue out and got down on one knee.

Another day, you grew old and died together just as you promised, and then you woke up.

You woke up and he wasn’t next to you. You checked your calendar. You stood up and walked onto the roof, starting your love over once more with the man who was the night and with his lover who was his sun.

Some days, you sat in bed without the will to lie awake. With your whole heart and half a mind, you repeat to yourself what you had grown to memorize and to complete.

By no means were you a writer, but he made you so and you completed his word as such, falling deeper into your infatuation with each written word:

_So be it I’m told, though love is not gold, that what I know answers my pain._

_From dusk now to dawn, and through what's going on is a message from heart and not brain._

_A solemn sung tale from the lovers who sailed from nowhere to nowhere again._

_Though nothing is new, but what I’ve been through seems to be the first time in a while._

_That feeling is old and is rusted yet gold and I know that my heart will prevail._

_I’ve fallen in love, thank the stars once above and thank nobody plays in the rain._

_Thank gods in the sky who need not to ask why we have fallen in love once again._

_As the light falls within and you turn with a grin as you always end there in my eye,_

_He who was night and loved me both in spite and in purity while watching the sky._

_So fear not what you hear when the light disappears cause the moon never lied to the sun._

_For the if and the when and the never again for the true love and the only ones._

_One day I’ll decree mark the second degree when not answered and with not a sigh,_

_If you ever mistake what my happiness makes for a lie, turn to me with a kiss and ask why._

_For I know where to go if you need to lay low and if you ever need once a cry._

_I’ve made every mistake, swore in every god's name and regretted one million odd lights._

_Even such I will know where my happiness grows in the man who forever was night._

_And I look to the corner of my room,_

_A past of immovable doom._

_And I know never blight or forever the light…_

_As I fell for the_

_He_

_Who_

_Was_

_Night._


	2. Love Of The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You ascend and descend all once over again. You once more meet an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (CW// Mental Instability, Hallucinations, Gore at one point but it's not real and it's for a metaphor, Ocean)

You awoke to the smell of the sea breeze and your lover besides you, staring up at the alabaster sky above you. You turned to him. He looked at you. You rested a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He looked over at you, resting a hand on the side of your face. 

“Do you remember?” He asked.

“Remember what?” You replied.

“Do you remember our first time together? Do you remember the sea and the sun?” You frowned. You don’t remember much at all. Dirk nodded.

“I love you as vast as that sea and a million miles abroad,” he spoke. You blushed.

“I love you the moon.”

“I love you the sun.”

“I love you the stars.”

“And we are the Eclipse?”

“I suppose we are.”

You turned around, facing the opposite wall. The posters were colorful and bland. They were boring after years of looking at them. They were depressingly bright. You found yourself squinting at them. Dirk stretched and stood up, running a hand through his hair and grabbing his shades. 

You sighed and stayed in bed, closing your eyes once more.

“Going back to sleep? It’s noon.” Dirk ran a comb through his hair.

“There’s nothing to do,” you retorted.

“Come down to the edge of the sea with me and we can fish,” he smiled. “It’s relaxing and we can philosophize.” You rubbed your eyes, sitting up. 

“May I bring a sketchbook?” You questioned, standing and pulling your shirt down. He nodded, opening a drawer and grabbing a sketchbook pad and a pencil. 

“We have many coming from the strange device on the roof.” You nodded, following him to the stairwell while he grabbed his rocket board and headed to the roof. Up the stairwell you were so familiar with. Onto the cold concrete ceiling. 

Dirk handed you the sketchbook and pencil, which you hugged close to your chest while placing the pencil in your mouth, biting down on the length of it. You climbed into the rocket board with him. He kicked on the board and you held on tight as the two of you soared down to the bottom of the tower, to the small deck that was built in. You landed swiftly and gracefully on the dock.

The two of you stepped off of the hoverboard, Dirk grabbing the fishing rod and a box of lures. You sat with crossed legs on the dock while Dirk took off his socks and rolled up his pants, sitting on the edge of the dock. It was a bright day. The seagulls were singing their brassy song and the sun beamed down upon the two of you, lovers of the sun.

You began singing a little song.

“Might you remember the days in the embers, the Phoenix, the ashes, the sea?” You sung. Dirk slipped the lure onto the fishing line and cast it.  
“The nights spent together from now to forever it's only for you and for me.” Dirk whistled along to your tune. 

"The sky who is watching the birds who are calling the night's only wish for the sun."

"Us both together from now to forever both loving until the night's done."

"That rhythm and rhyme scheme sounds familiar," Dirk spoke up, dangling his legs off the side of the tower and into the sea. 

"I know. I liked that poem," you said.

"I would hope," he laughed. You continued to sing. 

"Everything slowly collapses," Dirk hummed along.

"No matter what we or the past says," Dirk added. 

"What's left of the phoenix but ashes?"

"And lovers who burst into song," he sang. You laughed, opening your sketchbook.

"Great improv skills there, Dirk." You flipped to a blank page, beginning to sketch an outline.

"Thank you, I mastered them after being isolated for my entire life." You giggled, looking at the back of his head as he spoke, his pale golden hair ruffling in the wind. He was pretty in the sunlight. He always said you looked pretty in the moonlight. You loved his irony, was that not ironic?

You sketched the outline of his head and trailed down his back, drawing a line for his back and for his legs and hips. You drew on his hair and his shoulders in a sketchy manner, then his shoulders and shirt and back. You trailed downwards to his hips and legs, drawing the planks of the little deck on the lowest rung of the tower. 

You drew the fishing line and the calm sea. You sketched in the birds and the cross hatched shading and you looked up to him and he was still. You smiled.

"I drew you." 

"Oh?" Dirk spoke, turning to face you but keeping his fishing rod facing towards the vast sea. You held up your sketchbook. He smiled. 

"Is that what I look like from the back?"

"Yes. I tried my best."

"You did well," he smiled for you. You smiled back as he turned around to continue his fishing. 

You sketched some more. Pointless things. You drew his smile and his glasses. You drew the moon and the sun and his eyes. The sky slowly turned darker as the noon air faded to dusk. Dirk reeled in his line for one last fish, placing it in the box. 

"We should head up," he spoke. You nodded in agreement.

"It's getting dark."

"It is."

He grabbed the box, putting his fishing rod and lure back by his desk. You hopped onto his hoverboard and you held on tight.

Wind rushed through you as you both ascended and landed on the roof. You stepped off, he stepped off and grabbed the board. You both descended into your room. His room. The room in which you resided for years past and years to come. You both entered, silent.

He walked over to his computer and sat down, turning the power on and waiting. You grabbed the spare pair of shades he had in his drawer and put them on.

"Are you going to talk to it again?" He asked. You nodded, slipping on the shades.

"Yes, I am," you spoke.

"Tell it I said hi."

"Who are you to refer to them in that manner? Who is this?" 

"You don't know what it wants to be called," Dirk retorted. You sighed, staring forward at the bed.

"Hello, Hal."

"Greetings, my friend," it spoke. 

"Dirk says hi."

"Tell him I bid my greetings as well, and that I don't care what I am referred to as." You nodded, turning to Dirk.

"Hal says hi and that they don't care what they're referred to as."

"I was right, then."

"You weren't right, you just took a guess," you told Dirk. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer.

"So, Hal, that's what I can call you? Hal?"

"Yes, you've said my name a million times. I am he, I am she, I am it they and xe. I am all encompassing, though when you doubt, call me by my title, Hal."

"Ok, Hal. How are you today?" You asked.

"I am doing well. Well, as well as something who isn't real can be doing."

"What do you mean?" You frowned.

"I am not real," Hal smiled. 

"But I can see you right here, do you doubt that? Is there a loose wire to make you believe this? You're here with me." Hal shook his head.

"You misunderstand," Hal moved closer to you. "Hold out your hand." You extended your hand to Hal. He placed his hand on yours. You felt a tingle and the sensation of someone holding your hand. He was real, was he not?

"No, I am not real. You can feel me but I am not there. I am a figment of your long lost mind," Hal smiled, his body melting and fading and you swore you saw Dirk's face somewhere in his. 

"Do you honestly think you are sane?" Hal's hand melted and traveled up your arm. Your eyes widened and you took off the shades. Xe laughed and shook xer head, fading into television static and then molding into the wall. You grabbed your arm, rubbing it. You could still feel some of the tingles he left behind, traveling across your body and you looked down at your hands and saw lingering static covering them. You shook your hands and the television static dissipated into the air. 

"Are you alright?" Dirk asked.

"I felt him, he was there and then he wasn't. I could feel him and he became a part of me and it felt wrong and he was static. He melted away."

"I know he will be back tomorrow to apologize. That little rascal really does something to your mind."

You giggled.

"I don't think rascal was one of the pronouns that they wanted us to use for them."

"They said that we could use anything. Rascal/Rascals are valid pronouns. Menace/Menaces. All goes." You giggled.

"I guess so," you leaned back onto the bed, looking over at Dirk, who was doodling something on his computer. You smiled and looked back up at the ceiling. Static lingered there and then faded.

"Dirk, do you have pronouns I should use for you? I don't think I ever formally asked." 

Dirk thought for a moment, before replying. "I like he/him, personally. They/them works too. I prefer he pronouns, though. They/them is just something extra to spice things up."

"Ok, I'll do that."

Dirk laughed, turning to you.

"But when would you ever refer to me in the third person?" He asked. You shrugged.

"To talk to Hal?" Dirk shrugged. 

"I guess."

The two of you sat in silence, and you wondered momentarily if this silence was worthwhile. What was the point in surviving this? For all you knew, you were the last people alive. 

You probably were. 

What was the point?

"What's the point in all of this?" You asked Dirk. He cocked his head without glancing away from his computer.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's the point in all of this? Any of this? We're living alone in a desolate tower for the rest of our lives and for what? I've never seen anyone else before, not anyone who was real. How long until I can be free from this? How long do I have to wait, Dirk?" You shouted, tears threatening to fall. He stood from his computer and laid down next to you on the bed.

"We don't have to wait here forever, you know. We can wait as long as you like, and when you say it's time, we can both leave. Alright?" You nodded, nuzzling in closer to him. 

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Dirk?"

"Yes?"

"Are we alone out here?" He paused for a moment.

"We can find that out tomorrow. For now," Dirk turned and flicked the light off, "We go to sleep."

"Your computer is still on."

"It will go to sleep too, so don't worry." You pulled the covers over the two of you, wrapping your arm around him and holding him close. They felt warm. Your tears dried on his shirt.

You fell asleep.

You dreamt of a dark black room and a figure in the center. It cocked it's head and walked towards you. You saw those eyes and they were red and you knew it was Hal.

"Hal?"

"That is my name."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to visit you."

"Why?"

"Just because I can."

You stood still for a moment.

"You realize you are not sane, correct?" Hal asked.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to visit you."

"Why?"

"Just because I can."

You stood still for a moment.

"You realize you are not sane, correct?" Hal asked.

"I think so."

"I am not real."

"I know that now." Hal nodded, looking at his hands. Metallic. Claws. Talons. They could tear into your chest like butter. They did metaphorically. You were so lonely.

"Am I insane?" 

"For sure," Hal responded. "No one human could go through your trauma and come out unscathed. Nor I, a fake. A vision out the corners of your eyes. I could never."

"I think you're real," You said. Hal shook his head, laughing as the black void faded to static surrounding you like you were trapped in a television, a puppet to watch for entertainment by others, a story written by someone you didn't know, someone who didn't know you and yet they wrote your character. They made your every move for you. 

You glimpsed past Hal and for a faltering moment you thought you saw someone else. You saw them all around you in the written static and the ghostly apparition appearing to be in front of you and you felt your heart sink because that is how they wrote for it to happen.

Hal smiled. 

"My name is Hal. It stands for Hallucination. Had you perhaps not realized?" You thought for a moment, before nodding.

"I had a hunch it stood for something else." You paused for a moment. 

"Can we still be friends?" You asked him, genuine. For a moment, he faltered. You could see some sort of emotion dawn upon his face, though metal and fake. 

"I am not real." 

You woke up. 

The moonlight still shone through the window. You were still with Dirk and he was still right next to you. 

Before you realized it, you started crying. You felt tears trickle out of your eyes and down your cheeks, while you shook in an attempt to hold in your sobs.

The bed shifted and soon you felt a warm hand on your shoulder. 

"Hey..." Dirk whispered. You started sobbing. He couldn't see you like this, you were so strong. You were strong. Strong for him, you thought. You cried more. 

"Hey, hey, come here, shhhhh..." Dirk wrapped his arms and a blanket around you. He hugged you tight, letting you nuzzle into the crook of his neck. He rubbed your back lovingly, letting you focus on that rather than your dream or whatever made you sad in the first place. 

Slowly, you came back to your senses to find that Dirk had a few tears in his eyes too. 

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry-" you spoke. Dirk shook his head.

"No, no, none of that. What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" He asked you lovingly.

You nodded, sniffling and scooting in closer to them. Dirk frowned, shuffling and patting the pillow. You laid down and he threw the blanket on top of you both, wrapping his arms around your waist. 

"It's okay, none of it was real, okay?" Dirk reassured you.

You shook your head.


End file.
